MRP showed us a few new things at Eurobike 2016, including these upgrade cartridges for Rockshox forks. They replace the top cap, air valve and bottomless tokens to make your suspension more tuneable. A dial on top performs the same function as tokens, but once installed you can change the tuning while you’re out riding.
As well as that, they had new forks, an oval chainring, and some chainguides. Read on to see more!
They’ve been working on this for the past year, but the tech has been in their own forks for the past three.As you can see, the cartridge replaces your top cap and any bottomless tokens you were running.Bottomless tokens effectively give you stepped adjustment of the spring curve, MRP say their new cartridges offer finer adjustment and have less effect on initial travel.Left: Cartridge for standard Pike and Boxxer. Right: Boost Pike, Lyrik and Yari.Around the air valve is a 16 position switch to give you tuning that’s finer than tokens, but accessible without opening your forks up.MRP began with the thread sizes for Rockshox forks, then tweaking and adapting the internals of the cartridge until it performed as expected.
Following on from this, they were showing their new ribbon fork, so named after a the Ribbon Trail in MRP’s home Colorado. The Ribbon Trail apparently has a bit of everything from steep tech to wide open motorway sections, and they say the fork is designed to handle it all.
Nice clear labelling on the controls.There’s that Ramp Control.It is of course available in boost and non-boost flavours.Dual air design means valves at the top and bottom.Weight is a claimed 1860gThat’s not a reversed fork brace, it’s the front. They designed it this way after getting feedback from European riders. You know how you spend all winter trying to hose mud out the back of your fork brace? This puts the smooth face on the back, where the mud’s getting thrown as you ride.As well as various axle standards, options include 27.5″/29″ 120-150mm with plus tyre clearance, or 27.5″ 140-170mm with stnadard tyre clearance. Travel is adjustable internally in 5mm increments.
This is the Raze coil shock. No weight given, but it’s intended for downhill and, like the Ribbon fork, built with tunability in mind, with high and low speed compression damping circuits, and a shim stack main piston.
MRP Raze shockThey were showing some of their more traditional chainguides. Unlike most, MRP guides will go all the way down to a 28t chainring.They also had these minimalist ones, including a braze on one! The inner faces of the guide are a softer durometer plastic for increased noise damping, and most of these apparently have a range of 26-38t chainrings.
Wil reckons MRP have done oval rings before, but the one they have on show is new and they’ll be making a few varieties. Direct mount SRAM ones will be 30, 32 and 34t, 104 BCD will be 32 or 34t, and cince models 30, 32, and 34t. Cinch models will allow you to adjust the clocking, and there will also be boost chainline spaced ones in SRAM and cinch varieties.
This direct mount one was the only one on show, but they come in several other varieties including 104 BCD.
David started mountain biking in the 90’s, by which he means “Ineptly jumping a Saracen Kili Racer off anything available in a nearby industrial estate”. After growing up and living in some extremely flat places, David moved to Yorkshire specifically for the mountain biking. This felt like a horrible mistake at first, because the hills are so steep, but you get used to them pretty quickly.
Previously, David trifled with road and BMX, but mountain bikes always won. He’s most at peace battering down a rough trail, quietly fixing everything that does to a bike, or trying to figure out if that one click of compression damping has made things marginally better or worse. The inept jumping continues to this day.
Maybe not legend, but a heck of a lot easier for back to back comparison at initial set up. Fine tuning also a lot easier. With one token I bottomed out really easily, with two I never got near full travel until I reduced pressure a lot and that gave nearly 50% sag. Finally got a friend to shave one half way on his belt sander, which is pretty much there. 16 positions effectively gives you 1/4 token options.
I’ve had a MRP Ramp Control on my Lyriks for a month now and it is very useful, no faffing around and an immediate change in feel for the change you’ve made. I tend to use it at it’s fully off setting (approx 1 token) then ramp it up for drop/jump duty or harder DH runs.
Great piece of kit – well worth the money!
Any idea of the damper prices?
Maybe not legend, but a heck of a lot easier for back to back comparison at initial set up. Fine tuning also a lot easier. With one token I bottomed out really easily, with two I never got near full travel until I reduced pressure a lot and that gave nearly 50% sag. Finally got a friend to shave one half way on his belt sander, which is pretty much there. 16 positions effectively gives you 1/4 token options.
@majorspaniel I’ve been in touch with their EU sales manager to ask; will update the story when they send anything.
What’s the difference between the boost and none boost cart then?
Apparently, different thread pitches on the fork where it screws in.
I’ve had a MRP Ramp Control on my Lyriks for a month now and it is very useful, no faffing around and an immediate change in feel for the change you’ve made. I tend to use it at it’s fully off setting (approx 1 token) then ramp it up for drop/jump duty or harder DH runs.
Great piece of kit – well worth the money!